Short answer
IQ Option is ahead on our score, 4.0/5 against 3.1/5 for IQcent.
IQ Option fits: Experienced traders who want detailed charts and a desktop app
Skip IQ Option if: You trade rarely (dormant fee) or withdraw several times a month
IQcent fits: Very small trades and copy trading
Skip IQcent if: You pay by card or want a regulator behind you
Score by score
IQ Option 4.0/5
- Platform and apps4.8
- Costs and minimums4.2
- Payment options4.4
- Support4.2
- Licensing and openness2.6
IQcent 3.1/5
- Platform and apps3.9
- Costs and minimums3.2
- Payment options3.8
- Support3.6
- Licensing and openness1.5
How the two sites look
IQ Option and IQcent in brief
IQ Option (2013). IQ Option was founded in 2013 and wrote its own platform. Besides fixed-time trades it offers digital options, where you pick a strike and the payout rises the further away it is, and CFDs on currencies, shares, crypto and ETFs.
IQcent. IQcent combines fixed-time options and CFDs on its own platform and is known for very small trades and account levels.
Licence and safetyBetter here: IQ Option
Neither IQ Option nor IQcent is authorised by a leading regulator or by any regulator in Asia. Both run through offshore companies, so there is no compensation fund and no local authority to complain to.
Official warnings and alert-list entries we found: IQ Option 3, IQcent 0.
| What we compare | IQ Option | IQcent |
|---|---|---|
| Licence | Only its EU company holds a CySEC licence, and it sells no options. Options come from an unregulated offshore company. | No. Reportedly run from the Marshall Islands, citing only IFMRRC, a private organisation. |
| Official warnings we found | CVM, MAS, RBI | – |
| Dispute body | No outside dispute body | No outside dispute body |
On licensing and openness IQ Option scores higher (2.6 vs 1.5).
Entry cost and chargesBetter here: IQ Option
Both ask for the same first deposit: $10. The smallest trade is $1 on IQ Option and $0.01 on IQcent.
| What we compare | IQ Option | IQcent |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest deposit | $10 | $10 |
| Lowest trade | $1 | $0.01 |
| Charges | Dormant account fee after 90 days; overnight charges on CFDs | Reported 5% charge on card deposits; crypto deposits free |
| Pay-out charges | One free withdrawal a month; further ones reported at 2% (USD 1 min., USD 30 max.) – check current terms | Reported 5% fee on card deposits; check the cashier |
| Dormant account fee | About 10 USD/EUR a month after 90 days without trading | Check the current terms |
| Bonus | No bonus confirmed in the sources we checked | Large deposit bonuses with volume rules |
Payouts and the win rate you needLevel
Both advertise the same top payout (95%), so the break-even win rate is identical: 51.3%.
| What we compare | IQ Option | IQcent |
|---|---|---|
| Top payout | 95% | 95% |
| Win rate to break even | 51.3% | 51.3% |
| Note | 95% is the advertised top; gold paid 86–88% at busy hours and 78–82% at quiet hours when checked | Sources cite 84–98% by level and asset |
Top payouts apply to a few assets at the busiest hours. Look at the payout on the trade ticket before you open a trade; it is often lower.
Platform and phone appsBetter here: IQ Option
IQ Option. The platform is the main reason to choose IQ Option: several charts at once, a full set of indicators and the same layout in the browser and the desktop app.
IQcent. Web platform with options and CFD modes, and copy trading from about USD 20.
| What we compare | IQ Option | IQcent |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Browser, Desktop app, Android, iPhone | Browser, Android, iPhone |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone | Yes | Yes |
| Extras | In-house platform, Strong charts, Desktop app | Account levels, Copy trading |
Instruments and trade durations
| What we compare | IQ Option | IQcent |
|---|---|---|
| Instruments | 300+ | – |
| Markets | Currencies, Crypto, Commodities, Shares, Indices, ETFs | Currencies, Crypto, Commodities, Indices |
| Trade durations | 60 seconds – 1 month | From 5 seconds (short-term) |
Paying in and cashing outBetter here: IQ Option
IQ Option. Verification must be complete, and money usually returns to the deposit method first. The help centre lists processing times; your bank or wallet adds its own.
IQcent. Reported USD 20 minimum; faster on higher levels.
| What we compare | IQ Option | IQcent |
|---|---|---|
| Pay-in methods | Cards, E-wallets, Local payment methods | Cards, Crypto |
| Pay-out methods | Cards, E-wallets, Local payment methods | Cards, Crypto |
| Smallest withdrawal | $2 | $20 |
| Pay-out speed | Up to 3 working days, often less | Faster on higher levels |
Practice accountLevel
Both have a free practice account, so you can try the two platforms with virtual money before depositing.
| What we compare | IQ Option | IQcent |
|---|---|---|
| Practice balance | $10,000 | Yes |
| Try without signing up | – | – |
SupportBetter here: IQ Option
| What we compare | IQ Option | IQcent |
|---|---|---|
| How to reach support | Live chat, Email, Phone, Help pages | Live chat, Email |
| Support | 4.2/5 | 3.6/5 |
Which markets they acceptLevel
IQ Option accepts residents of 18 of the markets we cover, IQcent of 18.
Strengths and weak points
IQ Option
- +Best platform: browser, Windows and macOS app, Android and iPhone
- +Digital options with a strike price you choose, plus CFDs
- +Running since 2013
- +Detailed charts and a fast interface
- −Options for Asian clients come from an unregulated offshore company
- −On the alert lists of Singapore's MAS and India's RBI; sanction case in Brazil
- −Dormant account fee after 90 days
- −Fewer crypto deposit options than rivals
IQcent
- +Trades from USD 0.01
- +Copy trading
- +Advertised payouts up to 95%
- +Crypto deposits accepted
- −No regulator; cites a private body (IFMRRC)
- −Minimum deposit varies, up to USD 250
- −Reported 5% fee on card deposits
- −Regulator warnings reported by third parties
So, IQ Option or IQcent?
IQ Option is better in 5 of 7 categories here. IQ Option is ahead on our score, 4.0/5 against 3.1/5 for IQcent.
Our choice: IQ Option
IQ Option fits: Experienced traders who want detailed charts and a desktop app
Whichever you pick, practise on the demo first, keep the first deposit small and withdraw part of it before adding more. Binary options are high-risk and most retail accounts lose money.
Quick answers
IQ Option or IQcent: which is better?
IQ Option is ahead on our score (4.0/5 vs 3.1/5). IQ Option fits: Experienced traders who want detailed charts and a desktop app. IQcent fits: Very small trades and copy trading.
Which needs a smaller deposit, IQ Option or IQcent?
Both ask for the same first deposit: $10.
Which pays more, IQ Option or IQcent?
Both advertise the same top payout (95%), so the break-even win rate is identical: 51.3%.
Does any regulator supervise IQ Option or IQcent?
No leading regulator and no Asian regulator licenses either of them. Both work through offshore companies, so your money has little protection.
More comparisons and guides
- Pocket Option vs IQ Option
- Pocket Option vs IQcent
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- IQ Option vs Binarium
- IQ Option vs BinaryCent
- IQ Option vs Exnova
IQ Option review →IQcent review →Is IQ Option legit? →Is IQcent legit? →
